Mar 31, 2019; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez (24) reacts after a strikeout during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Yankees‘ catcher Gary Sanchez is doing everything he can to stay at the top of his game, and he’s far from it after a tumultuous 2020 season. He must be feeling the heat as GM Brian Cashman considers alternatives at the position over Sanchez.
The Yankees have been inquiring about several catchers, including future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina and Chicago White Sox’s James McCann. This heat has pressured Sanchez into signing up for the Dominican Republic winter league, alongside Miguel Andujar and Domingo German, two players who are fighting to remain with the Bombers in 2021. El Gary has joined Toros del Este, according to ESPN’s Enrique Rojas.
Gary Sanchez still has supporters within the Yankees:
“I think he’s been unfairly criticized a lot,†Aaron Boone told Meredith Marakovits on YES Network’s Yankees Hot Stove. “I think at times it’s over the top and people are blinded by some of the things that he’s done really well.”
“This year was certainly a challenging year for him and a struggle for him in a lot of ways, but that’s okay,†Boone continued. “That’s part of the game. Sometimes you have a tough season, and this season was tough for so many people across the league for different reasons.â€
It is interesting to see Boone defend Sanchez and the things he’s done really well. From my perspective, it is difficult to see exactly where Sanchez excels, aside from the slugger department where he hit 34 homers in 2019.
That is the one massive positive that
Gary brings to the table, his ability to spark the offense with the long ball. However, he had a 28% strikeout rate in 2019 and 36% in 2020. He also finished with a .147 batting average and .253 on-base percentage, the lowest in his entire career.
The Yankees have already begun evaluating other players at the position, including James McCann and Yadier Molina. Sanchez is doing everything he can to prove he deserves another chance as a starter for the Yankees, but being replaced late in the season by Kyle Higashioka undoubtedly hurt his chances of a long-term deal in the future.
With Gary hitting arbitration in 2022, I imagine the Yankees will offer him a relatively conservative contract for one year, seeing what he can accomplish in 2021 before making a long-term decision on his future.
